


Knowing me, knowing you

by scrabel48



Category: One of Us Is Lying - Karen M. McManus
Genre: Confrontations, Gen, before the epilogue, post book
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 09:41:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30002949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrabel48/pseuds/scrabel48
Summary: Set a few weeks after the end on the novel, Cooper visits someone to finally find some closure.
Relationships: Cooper Clay & Addy Prentiss, Cooper Clay & Jake Riordan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Knowing me, knowing you

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y’all I wrote this as part of an English project but I thought I might as well share.

A week after Nate had been released form juvie, the internet was still infatuated by the conclusion of Simon Kheller’s murder. Scrolling through countless social media accounts, Cooper could see his face splattered across articles, twitter hashtags, and snapchat mini series. As he languished in the juvie waiting area he could see copies of People sprawled across coffee tables, Kris and him front and centre.  
The attention during the trial had been exhausting, having someone following him at every turn and never being sure what personal information would be released next, but something about the aftermath was even worse. It was as if wherever he looked, the worst moments of his life were being glamourized, shown off to the world. He couldn’t get away from it either. The “Bayview Four” were now somewhat of celebrities in Southern California, though this time for a good reason.  
People on the streets would ask to take photos with him, while the few who still didn’t buy the story that Simon had killed himself, shot him dirty looks. The whole time they had been investigated had felt surreal and dream-like. Nothing that happened could even phase him after a point, as he had been sure the worst had been done. But now, returning to real life, the attention just made him sad. Though, for the millionth time in the last seven days, he was just glad nobody was trailing his car anymore … and that’s because he shouldn't be here.  
Just as he pondered the thought of leaving, which would probably have been for the best, a loud noise startled him from his thoughts. Looking up he could see the huge metal doors move apart, revealing four teenagers in orange jumpsuits. Though three of the teens Cooper didn’t recognize, the one in the middle made his heart stop.  
It had been eght days since they had sent Addy into Janae's house to get information, eight days since they found out Jake’s involvement in Simon’s death, and eight long days since Jake had almost strangled Addy, almost to her death.  
Across the room, Cooper’s eyes met Jake’s for a second, and the anger that rested in his murky blue eyes seemed far too dangerous to be approaching. His face morphed into a sneer, as he weaved his way through the circular tables, to sit down in front of Cooper. Giving Cooper no acknowledgement, other than a small nod of the head, Jake sat and stared at his nails thoughtfully.  
Cooper became sill, gawking at him still in disbelief. At last, swallowing hard, Cooper managed a small “Hey” before averting his eyes once more.  
“Sup?,” Jake said, leaning back in his chair like this was the most normal meeting in the world.  
“Not much,” Cooper replied, unsure of how to proceed. “How’s, um, you know, Juvie?”  
Jake shrugged, “You know, they feed you sometimes, the rest of the time you work out, so it’s not the worst thing in the world.”  
“Cool,” Cooper replied, feeling more and more awkward by the second.  
“So,” Jake smirked, “You gonna tell me why you're actually here, or do you want me to recount the trials of sleeping in a freaking cot.”  
He said it as a joke, but Cooper could hear the resentment behind his words. It had been partly Cooper’s fault that Jake was now sitting behind bars. But, why had he come? He didn't want to gloat. Frankly, he didn’t care that it had been his own hard work that sent Jake here as long as he was locked up. Still, he did kind of want to yell at him, just to get some answers for once in his life, so he could finally move on.  
The only thing that still kept him awake at night was wondering how he couldn't have known Jake was so evil. They had been best friends for four years, they had practically spent every weekend together for the half of their high school career, yet now, the old memories he had once held so dear felt sickening and tainted.  
“I just want to know why,” he said.  
“Why what?,” Jake drawled, baiting Cooper with his tone.  
“Why you became this person,” Cooper exclaimed, frustrated.”We were friends man, best friends, and it turned out I was more wrong about you than anything in my life. I thought you loved Addy, with everything you had, but I was wrong. I thought you were a nice guy, but again, I was wrong, and I thought you wouldn't be capable of letting someone kill themselves, then tormenting four people until their lives had almost been destroyed, but obviously I was wrong.”  
Jake’s face turned from his bemused neutral to a dark glare. His features became sharper and his eyes more focused. “Well what about what I thought about you?,” Jake spat, “you obviously weren’t the person I thought either.”  
Cooper rolled his eyes, which seemed to infuriate Jake even more, “You can’t possibly be comparing finding out I was dating a guy to you trying to kill your girlfriend.”  
Jake scowled even deeper. “Ex girlfriend,” he hissed, before continuing. “Besides, he was gonna do it anyway. I just agreed to take care of a few things once he was gone.”  
Cooper scoffed. “Take care of a few things? You tried to ruin Bronwyn’s, Nate’s and my lives. You tried to murder Addy.”  
“That slut deserved it,” was the only reply he got.  
Irritated by Jake's refusal to admit he’d done anything wrong, Cooper continued, “Dude she cheated on you. Most people get over that without ending up in Juvie.”  
Jake’s hands flung from his side, faster than Cooper could even react, and slammed down on the metal table. “She. Got. What. She. Deserved”  
“So you don’t feel bad about any of this, not about cracking open her skull, or about sending Nate to juvie, when he had never done anything to you?”  
“It’s not my fault he had some shady secret hanging over his head. If he hadn't, Simon would have never framed him.”  
Cooper was appalled by what he was hearing. Did Jake seriously believe he had done no wrong? “So this is all Simon's fault?,” Cooper said with quotation marks. “He was sick, Jake, and you decided his life was something you were willing to sacrifice so you could feel powerful?” If looks could kill, Cooper was sure he would have died on the spot. Had they not been surrounded by armed guards, Cooper would have run out of the room.  
Eyebrows scrunched together, fury so prominent in his eyes, Jake growled. “I did it to teach them a lesson. Bad things should happen to bad people.”  
“And you're not?,” Cooper countered, louder than he had intended.  
“Of course not,” spat Jake.  
Cooper was still unsure why he had been come, but decided this was as far as he could get. Without even saying goodbye, Cooper stood up and left the disgusting humidity of the visitor lounge. Stopping only to collect his phone, he emerged to be fully immersed in the 2 o’clock Californian sun.  
He rubbed his eyes viciously, trying to get them to re-adjust to the light, when he tripped over a bike leaning against the brick wall. “Oh my God,” he heard a familiar voice exclaim. “Are you alright?”  
“Fine,” he laughed. “Ah, I knew I shouldn’t have left it th..,” Addy started, but stopped short realizing who she was talking to.  
“Ah,” she said slowly, looking embarrassed. “This is awkward.”  
“Maybe a tad,” Cooper snorted, amused.  
She let out a hand to help him up, which he gladly accepted, before she looked down at her feet. “Did you see him,?” she whispered.  
“Yea,” said Cooper.  
“Was he, was he… scary, or…?”  
“No,” Cooper assured her. “God, Adds, no. There are guards in there.:  
Addy half smiled at him before nodding to no one in particular.  
“Did it make you feel better to see him?,” she asked.  
Cooper thought. Had this done anything except force him to spend more time with Jake than he obviously would be forced to at the trial? No, a part of him answered silently, but was that really true?  
For some reason, through all he knew Jake did, all he had seen him do, part of him had felt guilty for getting him locked up. He just couldn’t picture the scrawny, 14 year old he had once met, to be the man behind the worst months of his life. Part of him had felt maybe they had made a mistake, though he hated to admit that that had ever been a worry.  
Now though, after hearing how little remorse Jake had, he knew he could rest easier. Jake hadn’t even thought he had been in the wrong, even after all that time to think. Taking a deep breath, Cooper replied, “Yea, it actually did.”  
Again, Addy nodded curtly, still looking unsure.  
“I can go with you if you want,” Cooper supplied, hoping she wouldn’t take him up on the offer. “No, I mean I really want that, but this is something I have to do by myself, just me and him,” Addy said.  
Cooper nodded, understanding. “Good luck,” he said, and for the first time in the whole interaction, Addy looked completely sure of herself.  
“Thanks,” she replied. She gave him a small side hug before making her way through the doors. Though Cooper knew he didn't have to, he decided to stay in his car and wait for her to come out. He wasn’t sure what Jake would say to her, but he knew she would probably need a friend after it was all through. He picked up his phone, and was happy to find a text from Bronwyn, inviting him to dinner at her house.  
Though he would have never wished these last few months on anyone, there were some benefits to being framed for murder. He had realized who his real friends were and had even gained some along the way. He was finally able to be himself, and even though some would think that was a curse, in a way it was sort of a blessing. Smiling, and replying to Bronwyn, he made a pact with himself. No matter how he felt in the next few years, or what happend, he would never return to this parking lot wondering if he was doing the right thing, worried that what he did was wrong.


End file.
